


Seeds of Discord Pt. 4

by kbj1123



Series: Wonder Woman & Captain America [5]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Crossover Pairings, F/M, One True Pairing, Sexual Content, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-03-10 09:16:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3284957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kbj1123/pseuds/kbj1123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So, by request, here comes the sequel to “Wonders Never Cease.” Usual caveats: 1) I have no rights to these characters nor do I get an iota of payment for these stories 2) I’m writing for my amusement, though I’m not gonna lie—I love it that people are reading my work and feedback/encouragement is always welcome 3) I do not have in-depth knowledge of any of the Marvel or DC universes, and rely heavily on movies, superficial research, and other unrelated stuff I know about. That means there will be lots of inconsistencies in character histories and worlds. I’m open to being corrected, but please be kind about it (see caveat #2).</p><p>Someone or something is causing violent riots to erupt all over the U.S., and whatever it is, it wreaks havoc with both Wonder Woman's health and Bruce Banner's ability to keep his rage in check.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seeds of Discord Pt. 4

It is December 22. Diana, Bruce, and Steve are in New Orleans to investigate another riot, this time at a military funeral for Private Andrew Lawler, Pvt., US Army. There had been the usual number of demonstrators for various issues having nothing to do with this man’s sacrifice: religious groups protesting his sexual identity, protestors for peace, and protestors to protestors. The result has been that many, more funerals will be had over the next few days. 

The yellow crime scene tape sags in the humidity of the church yard. The smell of blood and wet clay pervade the cemetery where the young man should have been laid to rest. Wonder Woman finds pieces of him scattered across a half-dozen plots. She carefully lifts a piece of uniform sleeve from his dismembered arm with a stick, and shakes it a little. A new-looking business card falls from the cuff. “Bruce, Steve? I found something!” The front of the card is bright green, and reads “Jonathan Backus,” a phone number, website, and “The Concordance Group.” On the back of the card is a penned stick-figure of a man holding a test tube. Next to him is drawn a bulky, monstrous creature. “Well,” Bruce says. “It isn’t too hard to figure out who this was meant for.” He slides it into an evidence bag and packs it away. They spend the afternoon working with police and CSI’s to piece together bodies and names. Over a dozen people are dead, and twice as many are wounded. No witnesses remember a man named Backus, but there were so many people today, and chaos happened so very quickly.

The acrid combination of mildew and bleach is ubiquitous here in the damp, Deep South, even in the FBI field office. While tests are run on the business card, Bruce examines the bodies of those identified as perpetrators in the riots: the ones who threw the first punches, lobbed the first projectiles, or shot off the first bullets. Diana and Steve’s job is to wait for information and stay in communication with SHIELD. The air in the office room they’ve been given is thick and chemical. Even opening a window doesn’t seem to help, since outside, the air is thick, humid, and polluted. There is no breeze. Diana isn’t sure how long she’s been staring through the open window. She is startled when Steve hands her a bottle of water and tells her to sit down, drink this. She takes the cold bottle and holds it against her throat instead, and then rolls it across her collar bones. “You’re staring,” she tells him, even though her eyes are closed.

Steve smirks. “What would you do if the situation was reversed?” Diana ignores him and tilts her chair back, propping her heels on the edge of the desk. “Now you’re just teasing me,” he says. She isn’t though. Diana barely registers what he’s saying to her because her temples are throbbing. Her body feels hot from the inside. She takes a few sips of water and then pours the rest over her face and neck. Steve leans in across the desk. “Unfair,” he jokes. “I can’t even kiss you when you’re Wonder Woman. 

She wants to flirt back. She wants this to be a precursor for later. Abrupt, overwhelming sadness overtakes her but he can’t see the tears, because water is still running down her face. She thinks the dry heat inside of her should make her skin steam. She wonders if the unpleasant squeezing in her stomach is what nausea feels like. Then they hear the sound of shouts from the street below. 

Steve grabs his helmet and shield. Using every ounce of strength she has, Wonder Woman steadies herself, scoops Captain America in her arms, and leaps out the window, down to street level. She steadies herself, placing her hand on Cap’s shoulder, after she sets him down. There is no time for him to ask if she’s okay because about a half-dozen ordinary people have erupted into a fist fight. Wonder Woman sees a man in black running the opposite direction from the fight, seemingly immune to the pull of violence. Cap nods to Wonder Woman, and she takes off after the man. 

Within just four blocks, the distance between the two widens. Wonder Woman’s whole body throbs in sync with her racing heart. She stops, takes a deep breath, and begins again, focusing on her breath pattern. Once, Tony told her the story of his time as a captive in Afghanistan. He had been severely injured by a blast that left shrapnel in his heart, and somehow, through force of will, managed to escape his captors. She had sympathized, but hadn’t really understood what that might be like—moving through that kind of physical pain. It simply wasn’t what an immortal with the speed of Hermes himself ever would stop to consider. She pushes on, in pursuit. She sees him turn a corner down a side street. Forget the pain, she tells herself. She clenches her jaw and deepens her breath. It feels as if she is trying to breathe through slightly putrid water. She pumps her arms faster, urging herself on. The distance closes. She takes a flying leap and tackles her prey, sending them both careening into a dead-end that is littered with toppled trashcans and broken glass bottles.

When she returns, the civic authorities are all present: police, paramedics, low-level agents from the FBI building. Steve is speaking with a woman who is wearing a blue sundress. She has long blonde hair and is wearing very red lipstick. She is standing very close to him. She drags her captive along in her lasso and joins them. “Are you okay, Steve?” 

Before he can answer, the attractive woman practically coos, “Oh, is that what I should call you? Steve?” She has a thick, Louisiana accent. He blushes. “Captain America or Captain Rogers is fine, ma’am.” He turns to Diana. “Wonder Woman this is Miss Sarx. She’s an FBI informant who witnessed the fight when it started.” Miss Sarx looks Wonder Woman over and wrinkles her nose. “What HAVE you been rolling in?” Wonder Woman smirks, but is otherwise unfazed. “Garbage. With a bad guy.”

“Well neither of you look nor smell so good, bless your hearts,” she replies. It makes it hard for a lady to think.” She offers her arm to Steve. “Is there someplace we can talk?” Steve turns a darker shade of pink and looks uncomfortable, and Diana rolls her eyes. It makes her slightly dizzy again. She takes a moment to get her bearings, and then walks toward the FBI building with her captive. “We’ll talk later,” she says.

“Bruce, what are you doing in there?” He is locked in a holding cell when Wonder Woman brings the man in black down for lock-up. 

“I lost control when the fighting broke out.” He looks earnest and embarrassed. The morgue is a mess. I don’t think we’re going to get any information out of any of the bodies from the churchyard. Diana nods to the guard to unlock the cell, and Bruce and the captive trade places. “I’m really sorry,” he tells her. “Not only couldn’t I help you and Steve, but I destroyed a whole lot of potential evidence.”

“It isn’t your fault. I’m just sorry you went through that.” She hugs him and he relaxes a little bit. “Thanks,” he says. “Where is Steve, anyway?”

Steve joins them about an hour later, looking flustered. “Are you okay?” Diana asks. She has cleaned up, but is still in her Wonder Woman identity, as she has been all day. “I could ask you the same question. Are you feeling sick again?” Diana and Bruce fill Steve in on what he missed. “I’m still a little worn out,” Diana admits. “But I’ll recover.” She can tell that Steve isn’t entirely convinced. “We’re gonna talk about this more,” he informs her.

When the perpetrator, who calls himself Nyx, is brought into the interview room, he smirks at Diana and Bruce, and nods to Steve. “We already know you are part of the Concordance Group,” Diana begins, sliding the business card they found on him across the table. “What we want to know about, is this.” She slides him a copy of the stick figure drawing on the back of the first card they’d found that morning. Nyx smiles and looks her in the eyes. “Bellum omnium contra omnes.” Diana stares back, unblinking. Okay that’s great. Is that Concordance’s philosophy? War of all against all? Who is in charge? Even in a state of nature, and a poorly conceived one at that, you clearly belong to some organized structure. We want a name.” 

Steve clears his throat. “Thomas Hobbes,” Bruce tells him. He was a seventeenth-century philosopher who believed that in an ungoverned state, all human beings willingly fight each other for survival.” He turns to Nyx. “But Hobbes advocated a strong government for that reason. We need more information.”

Instead of answering the question, Nyx looks directly at Diana. “You will have to die. You do not belong in this world.” He turns to Steve. “You might survive, given the right motivations.” Then he rests his gaze on Bruce and smiles. “You are an inspiration: a symbol to us. We should speak alone, you and I. Mr. Backus has an opportunity to offer you.” 

“Not likely,” Steve interjects. 

The interview comes to a standstill after that. Finally, Bruce heads back to the morgue to continue salvation efforts while Steve and Diana escort their prisoner back to lockup, for eventual transfer to SHIELD headquarters. When they arrive at the cells, Miss Sarx is waiting for them. She briefly acknowledges Wonder Woman’s presence and once again focuses her attentions on Steve. “We meet again, Captain Rogers. Look what I found.” She holds up a flat device about the size of a cell phone. What happens when I do this?” She presses her thumb to the center of the screen. Diana collapses. Steve automatically turns to help her and Miss Sarx takes the opportunity to grab the handcuff keys off of a desk and free Nyx, who runs out a nearby fire exit. Steve sticks out his leg and trips Miss Sarx before she can follow, and she lets herself fall against him. She moves her face close to his and says, “You can join me. I can make life so much happier for you. Imagine no rules.”

“Sorry,” he replies, pinning her hands behind her and reaching for Nyx’s abandoned handcuffs. “I’m already happy with my wife.” 

She pouts. “Rules need to be broken if peace is to emerge,” she says. Then she bites the inside of her cheek and collapses. When he checks, Steve realizes that she has no pulse.


End file.
